-LRB- CNN -RRB- New York may be a paradise of Zagat-rated , Michelin-starred restaurants , but some of its best food can be found on the streets .

Hundreds of mobile eateries hawking gourmet global cuisine occupy corners across the city , alongside traditional hotdog vendors and halal carts .

King of Falafel & Shawarma

Halal carts slinging styrofoam plates piled high with falafel , shawarma and rice are ubiquitous in New York , but you 'll recognize `` the King '' by the seemingly endless line crowding the sidewalk beside it .

Originally a Queens staple , the cart dominated the corner of 30th Street and Broadway in Astoria for almost a decade before it won the Vendy Award for New York 's Best Street Food in 2010 .

Now , its second cart in Midtown Manhattan peddles its famous falafel and shawarma to the masses , in addition to meaty plates like the Freddy 's Junior : chicken , kefta and basmati rice topped with chopped onion and doused liberally in tahini and chile sauce .

King of Falafel & Shawarma ; 53rd Street and Park Avenue ; +1 718 838 8029

Milk Truck

Bessie , Milk Truck 's sunshine-yellow food truck , is a welcome sight for hungry New Yorkers during lunch hour .

Every day , the truck 's perpetually cheerful staff hawk classic American comfort foods like mac and cheese and turkey chili .

The most popular item by far is the grilled cheese sandwich .

There are three variations : the classic , the classic with onion and mustard , and a hearty three-cheese version with apple .

Despite not having a regular location -- Bessie 's daily whereabouts must be tracked online -- Milk Truck has become a fixture in the New York street food scene thanks to its fiercely loyal following .

Milk Truck ; locations vary ; +1 646 233 3838

Red Hook Lobster Pound food truck

New Yorkers do n't need to go to New England for a good lobster roll .

Thanks to Big Red , Red Hook Lobster Pound 's lobster shack on wheels , they only need to walk to the curb .

Rolls come Maine-style , served cold with mayo , or Connecticut-style , served warm with butter and lemon , each stuffed with a quarter pound of fresh Maine lobster .

Despite a price tag high that 's high for the streets -- $ 16 per roll at the time of writing -- the truck still sells between 300-400 rolls every two hours .

Red Hook Lobster Pound Food Truck ; locations vary ; +1 718 858 7650

Lumpia Shack

Though Lumpia Shack has recently upgraded to its own brick-and-mortar , its original location at Brooklyn 's Smorgasburg street food market still remains .

Lines form before the tiny street stall as early as 11 a.m. each Saturday for lumpia , crispy , Filipino-inspired spring rolls .

Each roll is made using locally sourced ground pork , roasted duck or truffled adobo mushrooms , hand-rolled and then deep-fried .

Unlike regular street food , Lumpia Shack 's plating is restaurant quality : the lumpia are arranged artfully on a tray , drizzled with homemade sauce and garnished with pea shoots and pickled vegetables .

Lumpia Shack ; Smorgasburg at Kent Avenue and Wythe Avenue , Brooklyn ; +1 917 475 1621

Dirty water dogs

Sometimes it feels like almost every other Manhattan street corner is dressed with the ubiquitous blue and yellow striped Sabrett umbrella , under which you 'll find New York 's most iconic street food : the dirty water dog .

Named after the warm , salty water it 's soaked in , the hot frank is served in a soft bun -LRB- which sops up residual water -RRB- and then topped with ketchup , mustard , onions , relish and sauerkraut .

It 's neither sophisticated nor gourmet , but it 's the quintessential New York food experience .

Various locations

Solber Pupusas

Culinary heavyweights Anthony Bourdain , Marcus Samuelsson and Martha Stewart are all said to be fans of Vendy-winning Solber Pupusas , and it 's no wonder .

Husband and wife owners Rafael and Reina Soler-Bermudez -LRB- `` Solber '' is a portmanteau of their last names -RRB- have been making the stuffed Salvadoran corn tortillas in their tiny mobile pupuseria for more than 15 years , selling more than 600 on a regular day .

The signature platter comes loaded with two pupusas , tangy curtido , pickled jalapenos , tomato sauce and sour cream .

Served on banana leaves with a tangy slaw , the Salvadoran tamales are also crowd favorites .

Solber Pupusas ; Brooklyn Flea Market at Lafayette Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue , Brooklyn ; +1 516 965 0214

Calexico

Unlike California , New York is n't renowned for its Mexican food , but the city has stepped up its game in recent years , thanks in large part to Calexico .

What started out as a lone taco cart in SoHo in 2006 -- one of New York 's first -- has since grown into a fleet of carts across the city and a handful of brick-and-mortar locations .

Its original SoHo cart remains its most popular location , still slinging soft corn tacos cradling slow-cooked chipotle pork , hearty bowls of jalapeno cheddar grits and burritos packed with beer-battered fish , beans , rice and Monterey Jack cheese .

Calexico ; Prince Street and Wooster Street ; +1 646 590 4172

Bolivian Llama Party

Traditional Bolivian street food staples can now be enjoyed on the streets of Brooklyn thanks to this popular Smorgasburg stall .

Though saltenas -- crusty , empanada-like pastries filled with meat and vegetables -- are easily its best-selling item , the chola slider is the real star here .

The modern take on the humble sanduiche de chola comes stuffed with either pork or beef brisket and topped with hibiscus-pickled onions , carrots , kolla cheese and parsley .

Bolivian Llama Party ; Smorgasburg at Kent Avenue and Wythe Avenue , Brooklyn ; +1 347 395 5481

Breakfast cart bagels

New York boasts many terrific brick-and-mortar bagel shops , but you wo n't get a cheaper or more authentic breakfast than a bagel and coffee from a street cart .

Every morning , locals file out of the subway and make a beeline for the nearest silver breakfast cart , whose narrow shelves are stocked high with bagels and pastries of every kind .

Many pre-prepare their bagels for convenience , but most carts will make your bagel to order .

Coffee , usually deli-quality , is served in small blue-and-white Anthora cups that have become as characteristic of New York as yellow cabs and dirty water dogs .

Various locations

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You do n't have to sit down to get great food in New York

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Opened in 2006 in SoHo , a lone taco cart called Calexico has expanded into a mini-empire

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New Yorkers do n't need to go to New England for a good lobster roll , thanks to Red Hook Lobster Pound

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Lines form early for Lumpia Shack 's Philippines-inspired food